Table 1 shows one common engine and engine cooling related problems of the 2026 GMC Yukon.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems |
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? ""6. 2l engine failed with 4,785 miles"" how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? ""engine failed in active highway jug handle and required police assistance and vehicle needed to be towed to the dealer. "" has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? ""the dealer has confirmed that the engine failed and needs to be replaced. "" has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? ""at this point only the dealer. "" were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?"" no just started sputtering and shout down. "".
The contact owned a 2026 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly turned off and lost engine power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and was then towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer confirmed the engine failure. The failure mileage was 1,800.
Engine failed on this 2026 GMC Yukon denali. . It had only 18000 miles on it, it failed in middle of hwy in indiana. Got it towed to dealership. . They haven’t touched it since last 2 days.
Engine stopped. Would not restart. I had it towed to dealership. They told me the engine is blown. There is only 7700 miles on the truck.
While traveling at highway speeds of approximately 82 mph in a 2026 GMC Yukon denali (6. 2l v8 l87 engine), the engine experienced a sudden, catastrophic internal failure and completely seized without warning. This resulted in an immediate, total loss of motive power, power steering assist, and power braking assist while surrounded by high-speed traffic. The sudden deceleration and lack of vehicle control created an extreme, life-threatening safety hazard, forcing an emergency maneuver across multiple lanes to reach the shoulder. Stranded on shoulder at night(pitch black) with lots of 18 wheelers passing.
The engine issue was caused by a misfire in cylinder #5, which resulted in white smoke coming from the vehicle’s exhaust. While driving on the highway, the vehicle lost power and would not accelerate properly, creating a serious safety hazard due to the inability to maintain speed and safely respond to traffic conditions.
Filing as a proactive data point for the ongoing NHTSA office of defects investigation engineering analysis (ea26005) regarding gm 6. 2l l87 engine failures. Vehicle is a 2026 GMC Yukon xl at4 equipped with the 6. 2l v8 and 10-speed transmission. The vehicle currently has approximately 2,800 miles and operates perfectly with no mechanical symptoms, ticking, or loss of propulsion. As an active preventive measure against internal component contamination, early engine oil changes were performed at 700 miles and 1,700 miles by a certified franchise dealer (alpine Buick GMC). The engine continues to use the factory-specified 0w-20 oil viscosity. A magnetic oil drain plug has been installed to monitor for premature ferrous bearing and crankshaft debris at future service intervals. This report is submitted to ensure 2026 model year data running 0w-20 oil is officially documented within the federal investigation scope.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15-20 mph and approaching a stop in nebraska, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact called the local dealer, and an appointment was scheduled. The failures persisted while waiting for the appointment. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The driver alerted onstar about the failure. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with complete engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact no longer wanted the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case and escalated the concerns. The failure mileage was approximately 4,700.
The l87 engine seized and receiving a full engine replacement now.
Driving down highway the engine made a squeeling noise. The engine shuttered and kept making noise then said to reduce speed. Then quit running all together.
-transmission started to slip when shifting above 2000rpms -engine light came on and took to dealership -error code confirmed for valve body, valve #3 failure -new valve body installed after order but also failed as I left the dealership -new valve body currently on order.
While we were visiting canada, our GMC Yukon had fewer than 5,000 miles when its engine seized on the highway. The vehicle was taken to a GMC dealership in canada. The dealer advised that the engine needed to be replaced, and it has now been replaced. We need to back to canada to pick up the vehicle.
On July 30th 2026, I was driving on the highway at about 75 miles per hour and the engine shut down. We were fortunate that we could pull over to the side of the highway. We had the truck towed to oxendale GMC. Today 8/4/26 I was informed that in fact the engine needs to be replace. No warnings no symptoms, the truck just shut down while driving.
The engine failed at 5383 miles while driving on remote highway in nebraska.
My Yukon denali ultimate had only 3,788 miles on it and on 7/27 while merging onto a highway my vehicle made a sound like it was trying to shift into gear but couldn't and then while I'm pressing the accelerator pedal it's slowing down. There were tractor trailer and vehicles speeding up behind me but I couldn't speed up and I was able to pull over on the shoulder luckily and I'm thankful it did not cause an accident. My Yukon would not start no matter what I tried and I ended calling a tow truck and had it towed to my local GMC delearship where I was informed that the engine had seized and they would order a new replacement engine. My Yukon is still sitting at the dealership waiting for the repair.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was a wait for the replacement engine. The approximate failure mileage was 3,788.
While traveling on [xxx] from houston back to san antonio, my truck engine just blew up without any warning whatsoever. We purchased the truck with 3 miles on it, and we have only put 5,000 miles on it. New cars that cost early $100k shouldn’t be having engine failures like this. I’m lost for words now! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
GMC should be haulted from selling trucks with the 6. 2l engine. My brand new 2026 GMC Yukon denali engine imploded on the interstate going 75mph that nearly killed my entire family. No warning, just out of no where died on the highway, with 4k miles on it. This is sadly going to get someone critically injured and when is enough going to be enough? GMC has some explaining to do, when they charge $85k-$100k for trucks that blow up as soon as you buy them.
Unknown brought my car in on July 24, 2026. They reported they do not know what is wrong with the engine, but stated gm is not letting them take it apart and told them to replace the engine. While the car was parked and during acceleration, my car was making a weird noise that got louder during acceleration. A few days prior to this happening, while driving on the highway, my car's emergency lights came on. I had to pull over to turn it off.
Engine blew at 8,762 miles in the middle of the night with 3 small kids in the car. Currently 41 days waiting for a new engine. We were driving and it started making a clapping sound like something was caught underneath. We had to drive a could miles to find a safe place to pull over. If we increased speed, the clapping increased and it slowed when we slowed. Hauled it to the local dealership and they said it was the engine. The dealership it was purchased at says the same thing. There was no warning. After a couple of miles of the clicking/clamping sound, the car started to shake and then died. There were no warnings or light on the dash of any signs of distress until it died. It was a couple of miles before we even had a safe place to pull over on the side of the highway. Going 70mph on a highway that is posted to be 70mph with 3 kids in the car, in the middle of the night, put my family’s life in danger along with other cars behind us. Clearly safety and quality isn’t gm’s top priority. This is our 5th Yukon. Our 13th general motors vehicle. To say we are disappointed is an understatement when we have been devoted to gm for over a decade.
9 months into ownership, with 24,000 miles I had complete engine failure pulling into an intersection. Slamming into park while moving and shutting down. This is a known issue with the gm 6. 2 liter engines but I specifically waited to order a 2026 as this was far outside the recall window gm had in place for this known issue and was led to believe the issue was fixed going forward. The car was towed to a gm dealer and sat for 39 days for a complete engine replacement. Now, a week after it has been returned it has sputtered and shut off as I am coming to a stop requiring a restart, not unlike stalling a manual transmission car. I think your agency needs to expand the investigation far further to include 2026 models. This is a 90,000 dollar brand new family hauler that I am supposed to trust my wife and kids are safe in. Now I cannot even trust it will safely take her through an intersection. Thank you for your time.
Engine failed at 12, 430 miles. Dealer said it required a new engine. This happened on 06/06/2026 and I am still without my very expensive vehicle. There were no wanring lamps or other engine failure notificatioins before this occurred.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon xl denali. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the engine seized. There was an abnormal burning odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on a busy highway in the middle lane. The local police arrived and assisted with directing traffic. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted by email and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
So the ultimate failure is from a catastrophically failed crankshaft journal thrust bearing. Which could be caused from one of two things: 1) the crankshaft thrust bearings they are putting in these motors are made with inferior materials, probably cheap chinese crap or 2) the crankshaft end play tolerance was never set properly, giving the crankshaft the ability to move forward and backward in the engine more than it was designed to. Which will over time beat up on the thrust bearing until it fails. In either case it would result in the same progressive issue showing itself. It will start as a squeak here and there. Which, as the soft thrust bearing material is unable to hold the proper oil film thickness for lubrication, will spiral into more and more heat being sent into the adjacent components, plus the buildup of metal particles being sent through the entire engine oiling system. Which will then start killing connecting rod and crankshaft bearings one by one. If the engine survived to this point, it’s now a ticking time bomb. It is either going to just seize up and not run anymore or the exciting route would be a connecting rod breaks and makes a window sized hole in the side of the engine block.
While operating the vehicle, I began to hear a metallic grinding noise originating from the center of the engine compartment. The sound was clearly audible within the cabin. Approximately one mile before the vehicle ultimately failed, the engine began to malfunction. As I slowed to a stoplight, the vehicle started to shake before shutting off abruptly and entering a coasting state. All electrical systems powered down and the vehicle would not restart. Shortly thereafter, heavy smoke began to emit both inside and outside the cabin, visibly coming from the hood and through the air vents. There was also a distinct burning odor. I attempted to restart the vehicle multiple times without success. The dashboard displayed the message: “conditions not suitable to shift. ” due to the vehicle becoming disabled on a curve and posing a safety hazard, I contacted the sheriff’s office for assistance to prevent a potential collision. Upon their arrival, it was noted that the engine compartment and hood area were exceptionally hot, particularly where the smoke was originating. The dealership has since confirmed they have also been unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle has been inspected by the GMC dealer and is currently pending further evaluation by a gm-certified mechanic to determine the root cause. Prior to this incident, there were no warning lights, system messages, or other noticeable symptoms indicating an issue.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph the engine seized. All the warning lights illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that an engine replacement was needed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the part being backordered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
This is a follow-up to my previous complaint - 11716917. My second engine, which was installed after my first engine failed after approximately 5,000 miles, also failed. It failed after approximately 5,200 miles on it. I picked up the vehicle after the first engine replacement on 2/19/26 and the second engine failed on 5/18/26. It failed as I was driving to work - I was able to exit the highway and pull into a parking lot. From there I had the vehicle towed to a dealership and they confirmed that the engine had failed and needed a total replacement. This is a 2026 Yukon xl denali ultimate with the 6. 2 l87 engine. I want to make sure the NHTSA is aware that I’ve now had two complete engine failures and am on my third. I have no confidence in the vehicle and have no reason to believe that my third engine will last. Gm has refused to do anything about this vis-a-vis extending my warranty or replacing my vehicle or buying it back.
My engine with less than 5,000 miles died (engine was blown). While driving on highway engine died and wheels locked and almost caused a major accident. I had to get a tow and bill cost me 700. 00. GMC is giving me the run around. Dealer stated that engine will need to be replaced. GMC is doing nothing to assist me, I have a car note with no truck GMC is the biggest scam.
Car engine stopped , shut down on I 475 south macon GA at 70 mph in left lane. Had to coast to right shoulder. Towed to hutchinson GMC in macon GA and it was determined the engine had locked up. 2026 with 4200 miles, purchased January 2nd 2026.
The vehicle experienced repeated failures involving the electronic stability control (esc), traction control system, and check engine system. Warning indicators for the esc, traction control, and check engine illuminated while operating the vehicle. The issue has occurred on two separate occasions. The first incident occurred on may 4, 2026. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection and repair, and the dealership advised that the issue had been corrected. However, the same problem reoccurred on may 7, 2026. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership service department, and the malfunction was confirmed. The affected components and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. The failure created a significant safety concern because the esc and traction control systems are critical safety features designed to assist with vehicle stability, traction, and driver control, particularly during emergency maneuvers or adverse road conditions. The warning indicators raised concerns that the vehicle could unexpectedly lose stability assistance, traction management, or engine performance while driving. This placed the driver and others at risk because the vehicle’s ability to respond safely during normal or emergency driving conditions could have been compromised. The repeated recurrence of the issue, even after dealership repair attempts, raises concern regarding the reliability and effectiveness of the corrective action performed.
Catastrophic engine failure of 3. 0l diesel engine with only 2000 miles on it.
I purchased my vehicle from GMC on April 13th and had approximately 4,500 miles on it. It was sold as new and drove it for about a week at 4,994 miles on the highway. During this time, it shifted from drive to neutral , but the vehicle was towed back to the dealership. Upon inspection, it was diagnosed with a seized engine.
Nothing has happened yet. However, after only 308 miles… my 2026 denali is knocking and ticking very loud. Why? how is this possible? we’ve only had it 2 weeks! I have only driven it 5-6 times in the past 14-15 days, too worried that this might happen. But I was reassured by the dealership it wouldn’t. But here I am now. I am so disappointed. Being a disabled vet I thought we could have something that we both liked. Now I am upset because I feel betrayed and lied to. I did a video but it’s too large to upload so I can’t get it under 10mb.
Engine starting clicking during highway drive then engine failed mid-drive and engine was trying to restart on its own mid drive. Vehicle totally stalled out in the street, with numerous attempts the engine did not start. Total mileage on car was 2,900.
Engine failed with just 3,633 miles. Covert GMC is replacing the entire engine.
On 3/14/26, on I-75 in troy, michigan at 70mph the vehicle, with 4000k miles on the odometer completely shut off. I pushed to restart the engine and it would not restart. My whole family was in the car and we were on a curve. I was able to coast to a flat shoulder. The vehicle would not restart or shift out of park. Onstar took seven hours to tow the vehicle. The dealer is installing a new l87 6. 2l engine. I do not have the vehicle back yet. I received an economy car as a loaner. The dealer says gm will not extend the factory warranty despite the engine replacement. My family could have been easily killed.
Engine lost power, making noises that sounded like an exhaust leak. Had vehicle towed to dealership. Advised the next day the main bearing had failed and engine needed to be replaced.
2026 Yukon elevation with 3,957miles. I was driving down the road and pulled into the turn lane at an intersection. Vehicle cut off with the auto start/stop function and would not start back up. I continued and tried to restart the vehicle but would not start; I was blocking the lane with cars continuously going around me. Vehicle stated service transmission on the display- I was unable to put it into neutral to push it out of traffic; you are only allowed to put it into neutral when crank and couldnt get the accessory mode to come on without the vehicle trying to start. I called the local police department and they sent an officer to direct traffic until a tow truck showed up. Both observed the vehicle not starting. There were no symptoms prior to the vehicle cutting off, only once auto start/stop initiated did the vehicle not restart. Vehicle will be sent back to the dealership tomorrow to resolve this issue. I have dash cam footage of the incident and photos of the display on the screen.
The engine started a soft, cyclic tapping sound intermittently on 2/28/26 while I was out of town on a trip. No alerts showed on the gm systems app. On 3/1, while driving home from the trip, the car started hard braking at cruising speed and the engine died and would not restart. I had the car towed to the closest gm dealership and have been told the engine locked up. I just rolled 6000 miles and showed 18% oil life from the original engine oil it came with from the factory. I had been watching the engine problems for years now and waiting for them to be resolved before buying a new gm; only to be lied to that the issue was resolved. Now they're going to install yet another defective engine.
2026 GMC Yukon xl denali, VIN [xxx] , 6. 2l v8 l87 engine. At 3,168 miles, vehicle developed rough idle and knocking noise. Delivered to sewell Buick GMC dallas on 3/2/26. Dealer diagnosed crankshaft thrust bearing spun. Tech pinpointed bottom-end noise via stethoscope, found excessive metal debris in oil and oil filter. Engine teardown confirmed thrust bearing failure. Required complete engine replacement (gm #xxx), plus oil cooler/radiator, oil cooler lines, torque converter bolts, and all one-time-use parts due to metal contamination. Old engine serial [xxx] , new engine [xxx] . Repaired under warranty 3/9/26, ro #xxx. This is the identical failure mode that caused NHTSA recall 25v-274 covering ~597,630 l87-equipped vehicles (my 2021-2024). Gm stated manufacturing improvements were completed by 6/1/24 and 2025+ models were not affected. My 2026 model year failure directly contradicts this claim and suggests the defect persists in current production. Safety concern: bearing failure causes sudden complete loss of propulsion at any speed. Nhtsa investigation pe25001 notes most failures occur without warning. Loss of power at highway speed creates serious crash risk due to loss of ability to accelerate and reduced power braking/steering. Had this failure progressed further while driving with my family, consequences could have been severe. No crash or injury occurred in this instance. This 2026 model year failure indicates NHTSA's investigation scope should expand to include current production vehicles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Engine failure while driving 75 miles per hour in highway in brand new Yukon denali. 3,000 miles and got a “decreased acceleration” warning. Then couldn’t accelerate and loud knocking noise from the engine, likely a lifter issue. I will have to get a new engine according to GMC. Unbelievable. Recall was for 2021-2024, but my 2026 is havin the same issue.
On [xxx], I was driving on the highway with my family in the vehicle and the check engine light came on, then it started running roughly. I headed off the highway on an exit ramp and the engine died about halfway down the ramp. It wouldn't restart after that. This happened about an hour away from my house in painesville, OH. I live in erie, PA. I had to tow it to the nearest GMC dealer. They've since concluded that the engine failed and have ordered a replacement engine from GMC. The Yukon only had about 4,900 miles on it. GMC has claimed that their engine problems were fixed for the 2025 and 2026 model years, or else I would not have purchased this vehicle. Obviously there are still major issues and the 2026 6. 2l engines need to be recalled. I understand that there is an ongoing investigation into these issues: rq26001. Please see that the investigators are made aware of this incident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
Vehicle has 2200 miles, equipped with the diesel engine and failed at a red light. Gm has to install a new engine.
Purchased brand new vehicle 2026 xl denali, hadn’t even had my first oil change, and had a complete engine failure in the middle of the road. Prior to engine failure, car ran fine without an issue - so failure came out of nowhere. Towed, where GMC and dealer determined entire engine needed to be replaced. GMC did cover and dealer did install a new engine. However: 1. I was out of a vehicle for almost a month. 2. I have incurred a depreciation cost of 10-15% on my vehicle due to this problem. 3. I have lost confidence in my brand new vehicle, as GMC has not fixed the reoccurring engine problems from previous years - despite promises to the contrary.
Vehicle engine stopped working at 5200 miles. Was driving on highway and immediately stopped. Vehicle would not start. Towed to dealership and next day dealer confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon denali. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal operation. The message "shifting to neutral" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,303.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Yukon xl. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The abnormal sound disappeared after the engine had warmed up. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.